MC-D Steps Up Policy Accomplishments in 2007

Throughout the last year, MC-D continued to gain significant victories and influence on the policy front. These accomplishments include:

High School Students to Attend Community College: Advocacy by Metro Organizations for People and the Sheridan School District resulted in an August 2007 decision by the State Board of Education that the state should pay for community college classes taken by high school students – either before they graduate or for a year afterwards. “This program should limit the number of remedial classes high school graduates need to take in college,” explained MOP Director Mike Kromrey. “They are getting a needed head start to succeed in college and in the work force.”

First Source Hiring: As a result of MC-D partners’ successful advocacy for jobs and affordable housing at Gates-Cherokee, MC-D and the Front Range Economic Strategy Center have helped negotiate and institutionalize permanent changes in the city’s “First Source” hiring process. First Source will give residents in the Westside neighborhoods advance notice of position openings so they can get a first crack at interviews with contractors.

“Benefits Cliff” Advocacy: MC-D residents on public assistance can be held back by a dramatic drop or “cliff:”: their salaries are too “high” to be eligible for public benefits and too low to be family supporting. MC-D has partnered with the Women’s Foundation of Colorado and the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP) to develop a strategic approach to this problem. At Making Connection’s request, NCCP has completed a seven county survey of “benefits cliffs” in Colorado and is now doing a cost analysis of various reform proposals. These results will be used to develop a legislative campaign for 2008.

National Health Care Advocacy: MOP spearheaded a grassroots legislative campaign for the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) involving 20 community leaders, community meetings in Colorado with several hundred residents, Congressional testimony, and the development of a state-wide SCHIP coalition. MOP leader Susan Molina was the lead witness at a hearing sponsored by the U.S. House’s Energy and Commerce Committee, considering SCHIP reauthorization.

State Health Care Win: Governor Ritter signed a bill requiring that a medical home by provided to all children on Medicaid and CHP+. MOP residents had advocated strongly for passage of this bill.

Denver Public Schools Budget Reform: Having succeeded in getting the school superintendent to accept the “Student Weighted Funding” concept last year, MOP is now negotiating for increased funding in the DPS budget for students who are English Language Learners (ELL) or who are from low income families. On a related front, MOP is also analyzing whether MC-D schools may be entitled to additional Title I funding.